Preparing clothing items for long term self storage.

Preparing clothing items for long term self storage.

People place items in storage for a wide variety of reasons. Occasionally it becomes necessary to store common household goods for an extended period of time. People can find themselves needing storage for household items for long periods should they be required to travel far for work or pleasure. Sometimes a large amount of household goods can be inherited, or gifted from a friend with the recipient finds that they have not enough space in their own home to keep these cherished items. These are just a few of the many reasons why you may find yourself in a situation needing to store household items for a long period of time.

When you find yourself in a situation such as this are most in your mind should be the proper storage of these precious items so as to keep them safe from the ravages of time. What may be commonplace today can be an antique in only a few years but without proper care, handling and storage the value of such things can diminish rapidly.

One category of common household items that people find themselves story for an extended period of time that requires special care when packing for storage is clothing. While modern self storage facilities are exemplary at controlling the climate and temperature of stored items clothing is an item that even under the best of care can deteriorate over time. However the small amounts of preparation it is possible to keep your cherished clothing safe and sound in long-term storage.

Interestingly enough it is probably one of the oldest methods of quality storage that still remains one of the best — mothballs. These potent odorific reminders of a bygone era are still one of the most effective ways to keep clothes safe from insects and even mildew when in long-term storage.

Combined with a newer, more modern method of storage they can be even more effective. Vacuum packed storage bags were once only used by professionals and businesses. Now, often marketed on television, vacuum packed storage bags for large items are commonplace in the consumer marketplace. They are simple to use and though some work best when used in conjunction with an electric vacuum cleaner many can be evacuated of excess air simply by sealing them and rolling the contents tightly to force air out of a one-way bladder at the end of the bag. Simply add one or two mothballs into each bag to assure the preservation of even the most delicate clothing items.

Of course there are some clothing items that require special consideration. Should you be fortunate enough to own luxury clothing items made from animal skins or furs special preparations will be required if you intend to store these items over a long period. Other items should be treated with specialty oils available from fine clothing outlets, the specifics of which will be determined by the nature and colour of your leather goods. Once treated these items can be gently secure in sealed vacuum packed bags much like regular clothing.

Those of you looking for long-term storage for fur items it is often recommended that such items are stored in special low temperature storage facilities to prevent their eventual degradation. The storage of fur is a highly technical science, far too broad to be covered in this article and too delicate for most people to do on their own. If you have fur items you wish to store for a long period of time it is best if you consult an expert in fur and clothing storage and not attempt to prepare such highly valuable items for long-term storage yourself.